(SHREVEPORT, Louisiana) – As students prepare to head back to classrooms, CHRISTUS Health is stressing the importance of immunizations and physical exams for a healthy start to a new school year.

Louisiana law requires children to be vaccinated against several diseases before attending school, including MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), hepatitis B, and DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis), among others. Although there are exemptions, the Louisiana Health Department encourages parents to vaccinate their children according to age-appropriate immunization timelines.

Dr. Jean Ancelet, family medicine physician with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic in Shreveport, said immunizations offer protection against many common viral and bacterial illnesses, including measles, mumps and rubella.

“These diseases are preventable and their consequences avoidable with the use of immunizations,” Ancelet said.

Ancelet said when students return to school, they are exposed to other children and to whatever illnesses those children have been exposed to.

“This is why vaccines are important in minimizing the effects of these more known and more problematic illnesses,” he said.

“Most children entering a school setting will already have had a series of vaccines addressed by their pediatricians or family doctors before getting to school,” Ancelet said. “If not, the Centers for Disease Control does have a ‘catchup’ schedule that can be used to bring a child up to date.”

Ancelet said physical exams also are important before the new school year begins.

“Regular checkups and physicals are important for assessing and tracking children’s physical and mental development,” he said.

Students also should remember to stay well-hydrated and maintain good sleep habits and dietary habits, Ancelet said.

“An under slept, underfed child will not be able to do well in school no matter how good of a student they want to be or how good of a teacher they have,” he said.